HOLLYWOODAND GOD

Despite what the press may convey, America is not antagonistic toward the
things of God. According to a March 2004 Associated Press poll, an incredible
87 percent of respondents wanted “under God” kept in the Pledge of Allegiance.1

Contrary to expectations, the blockbuster movie The Passion of the Christ
grossed hundreds of millions of dollars in its opening weeks, proving that Americans
have a strong interest in God. A Gallup poll shortly after the film’s release
found that three in four Americans have seen it or expect to see it.2

The New York Times reported, “As the overwhelming success of The Passion
of the Christ reverberates through Hollywood, producers and studio executives
are asking whether the movie industry has been neglecting large segments of
the American audience eager for more openly religious fare.”3

What Hollywood Believes explores an area that has been neglected in the past—the
religious faith of the famous. It is a sad irony that when legendary filmmaker
Cecil B. DeMille (director of the epic movie The Ten Commandments) first came
to California in the early 1900s, he settled in a small town that was giving
away free land to anyone willing to build a place of worship. The town, said
to be a “Christian” settlement, had a picturesque name—Hollywood.

Yet through the years the famous town has come to bear little resemblance
to middle America. For example, a survey conducted among the 104 top television
writers and executives found only 49 percent consider adultery to be wrong—which
means 51 percent believe adultery is morally right. Meanwhile 85 percent of
the rest of America believes adultery is wrong.5

When asked about their religious affiliations, 45 percent of Hollywood executives
said they had none, while the general population citing no religious affiliation
was a mere 4 percent. Gallup polls reveal that over 90 percent of Americans
believe in God, with as many as 40 percent attending worship services regularly,6
yet America’s true religious nature hasn’t been reflected in television shows
or movies.

While I had a wonderful time researching for this book, discovering the stars’
beliefs was arduous and time-consuming. Because Hollywood has for many years
been under the illusion that America isn’t interested in God, many celebrities
hide their spiritual beliefs for fear of jeopardizing their careers. (Some of
the quotes are therefore very short, for which I apologize.7) Each time I uncovered
something a famous person believed about spirituality, it was like finding a
golden needle in a huge haystack of information.

So what you are about to read is unique. The spiritual beliefs of the famous
have not often been published—especially in a single resource such as this book.
The utmost care has been taken to cite all sources of information, in the belief
that each of the sources is accurate.

These findings are both fascinating and informative. Not surprisingly, celebrities
expressed a wide range of views. One star thinks God is a woman, while others
believe they will be reincarnated.

Some beliefs are a little off the wall; others seem to make sense . . .but
who am I to say who is right and who is wrong? However, if I were researching
the thoughts of famous football players on how the game should be played, and
found conflicting beliefs on how the players should line up for the snap, it
would be sensible for me to go to a respected source of information—the standard
for football plays. I would use that as a plumb line to compare how far to the
left or right each player stood.

That’s what I have done with this book. In it you will find extremes. So
I have gone to the most respected source for spirituality, not only for Jews
and Christians but also for many other major religions. I have compared the
beliefs of the famous to the bestselling Book of all time, the Book that has
stood the test of time—the Bible. This is because I don’t want What Hollywood
Believes to be merely informational. I want it also to be educational—so that
each of us can think beyond what the celebrities say and perhaps even beyond
our own beliefs. And the best way to do this is to consider these beliefs in
view of a plumb line.

We’ll be in good company as we do so. Many of our country’s great leaders
have looked to the Bible as an educational tool as well as a source of wisdom.

Theodore Roosevelt firmly believed, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is
worth more than a college education.”8 Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, “The Bible
is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other
Book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope.”9 John
Quincy Adams had similar convictions: “The first and almost the only Book deserving
of universal attention is the Bible . . . It is an invaluable and inexhaustible
mine of knowledge and virtue.”10 His father, John Adams, said simply, “The Bible
is the best Book in the world.”11

Commendations for the Bible aren’t limited to presidents. The “Father of
Science,” Sir Isaac Newton, asserted, “We account the Scriptures of God to be
the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible
than in any profane history whatsoever.”12

With these thoughts in mind, I hope you will find this publication more than
titillating. I trust it will help you to see that many of those celebrities
to whom we look up are also looking up . . . toward the heavens. Although they
are rich, famous, successful, and seemingly self-sufficient, they have the same
fears, doubts, and aspirations as the rest of us.

In these pages I have also attempted to address some of the difficulties
and objections raised by celebrities as well as others—such as the issue of
suffering, proof that God exists, why we should believe a Book that is full
of strange stories, who made God, etc.

Researching the content for this book has caused me to not only be more educated
about other people’s beliefs, but it has helped me to grow in my own faith.
I hope it does the same for you. So let’s now look at the faith of the famous,
and see what they believe.